A Year of Darkness
by HarmonyGames
Summary: Accused of Treason, Elsa is locked away in the cellars of Arendelle and sentenced to death. While awaiting her Execution, Anna tries to prove that Elsa has always been loyal to Arendelle. But upon her execution date something goes terribly wrong.


The former Queen sat alone in the cold cellars of Arendelle castle. She fiddled nervously with her fingers as she sat on the edge of the cool stone bed that was chained to the wall. Her legs shook as she tapped her foot constantly on the concrete floors. Elsa started out the narrow window, watching the sun slowly rise up over the fjords. Outside ships docked or left the Kingdoms port with various trade goods.

"Breakfast." Someone said shoving a tray of food through the door. The tray made a clinking and scratching sound on the stone ground, it sounded like somebody was dragging their shoes across a rocky surface. Elsa jumped and looked towards the doorway. She had heard that rustling and clinking of the old metal many times before. Still, each time she thought that someone was coming for her. She knew that she had been accused of treason. Most of the Royals in her history books had been executed for their crimes. Even in the lessons she attended as a child, Treason had always been regarded as the worst crime a royal could commit, even more severe that murder. The former Queen had been down in the cellars for many weeks, the days dragged on making time seem eternal. Still, nobody had been down to the cellars to see her, not one person had come down to discuss what would happen to her.

Elsa got up slowly, she pushed her body away from the bed. "Mhhmmgm" she mumbled struggling to maneuver herself upright. Elsa dragged herself towards the breakfast tray, the food she was given was repulsive. Old stale bread, sometimes it had been mouldy. Questionable looking bowls of mush and what she had assumed to be scraps of meat and vegetables from whatever Anna and Kristoff had been served. The former Queen, having been locked away was not permitted to see her younger sister. She couldn't send her messages or explain to her the events that had transpired to land her in the prison cells. She couldn't even tell her sister that none of what happened was her fault. She had been innocent, and she was being blamed for events beyond her control. Elsa took the spoon from her tray and moved the mushy substance around in the bowl. She picked at the slice of bread trying to eat around the mouldy parts. After only a few bites Elsa pushed the tray away from herself, having less than appetizing food made it difficult for her to want to eat anything.

When she was first imprisoned, Elsa had tried to get the attention of the men guarding her cells. Begging and pleading with them to let her see Anna, but none of them listened. All they'd do was make their rounds and shove food trays under her door. Elsa started to grow accustomed to the silence, except for the occasional scuffling of guards outside her door and clanking of her food trays arriving underneath her door. The only time she was spoken to was to alert her that her food had arrived. Otherwise she lived alone and in silence.

Elsa returned to watching the ships on the water leaving and entering Arendelle. She thought it must be nice to sail on a ship. The crew could go wherever they wanted, delivering trade goods, transporting people to other kingdoms. None of them were confined to tiny cellars or expected to eat scraps. She then heard the door creek open; which made her heart start to race. Every time she heard noises outside her door she thought that someone was about to come into the room and tell her, her worst fear. That she was going to die.

"Elsa." A gentle voice said, the older lady closed the door behind her and walked towards the former Queen.

"Gerda?!" Elsa said sadly she stood up. One of her ankles had been chained to the wall, which didn't allow her to move very far. "Have you heard anything?" She asked, trying to keep her composure, a few tears slipped of anyways. Elsa bit her lip, her heart raced. She hoped more than anything that she would be allowed to live, allowed to see Anna again and live up in the castle. But she doubted that the council would allow her to live.

"Yes, Elsa. That's what I'm here for." She spoke softly in a comforting tone. She put one hand on Elsa's shoulder. "The council had decided on a date." She said. "Next week, on thursday." Gerda told her grabbing Elsa's hands. E;sa let out a loud sob. "NO!" she screamed dropping to her knees. "No, no no." she repeated over and over again. "Gerda, you can't let them do this to me, Anna needs me." Elsa breathed out heavily. She started wheezing in attempt to speak.

"I'm sorry my darling I wish there was something more I could do. I tried so hard to fight for you, to convince them you wouldn't do this. But the evidence the council found against you was overwhelming." Gerda knelt down on the floor and grabbed Elsa by the shoulders.

"You know I didn't do this." She winced. Elsa closed her eyes and allowed several tears to run down her cheeks. "I don't know why the council doesn't believe me." She sniffled. "I would never betray Arendelle, this is my home."

Gerda gave her a sympathetic look. "I believe you Elsa, I have tried to prove you innocent, Anna has tried, your royal advisor has tried. But nobody can find any evidence that what you say is true." The old lady told her. Elsa curled up and sobbed into her hands. Gerda pulled her closely into a warm embrace. Elsa let the older lady hold her for a while, then mustered up the strength to start speaking again.

"I'm being plotted against Gerda!" Elsa raised her voice standing up. "Someone is trying to get rid of me!" Elsa paused and began sobbing Elsa became overwhelmed with thoughts racing through her head. The thought of dying and leaving anna all alone, what her parents would think of her now, and what would happen to her when she died. She pondered the thought of an afterlife and what the council and guards would do with her body when she was executed. "I just can't..." She heaved and cried in between words struggling to find her breath. "Leave Anna. I can't ... I can't." She said over and over shaking her head.

Gerda rubbed her back gently. "Easy, Easy Elsa, just breathe okay. It'll be alright."

"Gerda! It's not going to be alright! You can't stand here and tell me that everything is going to be okay!" Elsa raised her voice, speaking through teary eyes. "It's not going to be okay, not now, not ever again. Nothing anyone can say or do is going to help me now." Elsa's cheeks were stained with tears. She looked up at Gerda and tried to collect herself, she wiped her eyes with her sleeve and took a few deep breaths. "I am going to die." She said

Gerda's face fell, informing Elsa of her execution date did not seem real until she had heard Elsa speak those words. "I'm so sorry Elsa, your sister still hasn't given up on you, nor have I. We are going to fight for you, until we solve this."

"There is not enough time left Gerda." Elsa spoke solemnly. "It has already been weeks, and nothing. I just feel like having hope right now is no use. If nothing has been found yet, why do you think if can be found in the next week?"

"Don't worry, you'll be alright my love." She said wrapping her arms around Elsa. "Don't you cry, your sister and I are going to figure this out." She paused wiping tears from Elsa's cheeks. "I Promise." She said.

Elsa hung her head low. "Gerda, please don't make me a promise you can't keep."

Gerda sighed deeply. "Your sister and I will try our best to help you get out of this, that I can promise you."

Elsa took a deep breath and nodded several times as if she was trying to convince herself things would be alright. "Can I see Anna?" Elsa asked Gerda. "I'd really like to see her." Elsa smiled. She missed her sister, she had not seen Anna since the council accused her of treason and demand that she be sentenced to prison lock-up until further notice. But during the past few weeks the council had not granted her any visiting rights with her sister. The only person she had seen was Gerda and the guards.'

"I'll see if the council will grant you permission to see her." Gerda told the former Queen. "But, you do know the rules. There are currently no visitation rights for those accused of treason."

"I know." Elsa rested her head on the stone wall and stared out the little window. "I've read all of Arendelles legal books." She sat in silence for a while after that, Gerda didn't speak either and the two of them just enjoyed each other's company.

"Time is up." The guard pounded harshly on Elsa's door. The old wood and steel door made a rattling noise as the guard pounded on it. "Finish your conversation with the girl and leave her." The guards voiced boomed.

Elsa was jumped, her eyes widened, and her heart raced. "Don't go." Elsa grabbed her hand, her body trembled and her lips quivered as tears continued to run down her cheeks. "Please! Please I can't be alone down here." Elsa begged her. "Please Gerda, don't leave me here." She started crying. "I can't..." Elsa muttered out of breath. "I can't be here all alone, I'm scared."

"I know, Elsa." Gerda hummed.

"I've already been alone for most of my life but…" she trailed off her voiced becoming quieter as she spoke. "This time, everything is different."

Even though Elsa had spent the greater part of her life alone in her room, she had been comfortable. The food was impeccable, the bed was always made. She could bathe as often as she wanted and sometimes she would coerce the staff to bring her extra cake for dessert. Alone in the cellars it was completely the opposite. It was dark, most of the time it had a musty smell; as if there was just a rainstorm.

The kind old lady smiled. "Be strong my darling girl." She said. "You'll be alright."

"You don't know that." Elsa mumbled through tears. "I... I don't think I'm going to be alright."

Gerda smiled sadly at Elsa and let go of Elsa's hands. Elsa held on until Gerda's hands slipped gently out of hers. She watched as the lady who had become like a mother to her left her alone in the tiny prison cell. Once again, the only other person near her was a single guard standing outside her doorway, guarding her cell. Elsa neared the doorway, she watched as Gerda disappeared down the dark hallway leading back towards the castle grounds.

Elsa's knees buckled, and she fell to the floor. The former Queen sobbed, her colour turned green and she clutched her stomach as it ached. Elsa threw up the little stomach contents she had, the thought of next Thursday at the front of her mind. She leaned against the wall of the cellar curled up tightly. It wouldn't be long until Thursday came around. She didn't even know if she would be allowed to see Anna before then. From her experience in the past she knew families were allowed to see their loved one on that day if they so wished. Elsa began wondering if anna would even want to see her, it would be much less painful for the princess if she didn't have to talk to her at all.

Elsa closed her eyes and took deep breaths in attempt to stop herself from crying. She sniffled and wiped her nose with her sleeve. Being down in the cellars had not become any easier. The longer she remained there the more her anxiety about her execution grew. _Does it hurt much, what do they do with me when I am dead, what if it takes more than one swing…. That would be excruciating, how would Anna feel…. Seeing me dead. _

Elsa began hyperventilating and crying again, her body was visibly vibrating. Unable to stop herself she began moaning and screaming. The man at the door rushed inside and knelt before her.

"Hey!" he said grabbing her wrist. "Look at me!" his voiced echoed loudly in the cell. "Elsa." He spoke loudly. "Stop"

"They're going to kill me." She stared at him with her wide eyes full of tears. "I'm going to die." She said. "I'm going to die… they'll kill me." She repeated. She shook her head from side to side drawing in deep breaths.

"Elsa." He said. "They are not coming for you yet." He told her. "Breathe"

"I can't…." she moaned out of breath.

"Just breathe." He said again. The guard grabbed her hand and guided her to the bed. "Lie down and try to sleep." He told her.

Elsa shook as she laid on the hard, stone surface. She pulled the thin blanket over her body and shut her eyes tight. She heard the door clunk as the guard left the room.


End file.
